Man Utd will consider selling Manuel Ugarte this summer but the Uruguayan isn't having a great World Cup in North America.
Manuel Ugarte
Manuel Ugarte and Uruguay are having a disappointing start to the World Cup
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There was hope inside Old Trafford that a successful World Cup for Manuel Ugarte could spark the kind of interest in him that would see Manchester United sell a midfielder they spent £50million on two years ago.
There is no chance United will get their money back on the former Sporting and Paris St-Germain midfielder, who has endured a couple of difficult seasons at Old Trafford, but he has enough a CV to suggest he could still be a success in Europe.
Ajax and Galatasaray were among the clubs interested in January, only for United to rule out a loan move, and there will be a market for him again this summer, but some big displays at the World Cup could have sparked a bidding war.
Ugarte is a better player than he has shown at United, but he didn't play a single minute of the final six Premier League games after a disappointing performance in the 2-1 defeat at Leeds, in front of the watching Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
That could well have sounded the death knell for Ugarte's United career, but it might also have cost him form and momentum heading into the World Cup. Uruguay didn't play any pre-tournament friendlies, so Ugarte has come in undercooked.
He managed 72 minutes in the draw with Saudi Arabia and then 70 minutes against Cape Verde, but that 2-2 draw has put Marcelo Bielsa's side on the brink of a shock early elimination. They need a result against Spain to qualify for the knockout stages.
Ugarte's struggles were laid bare by the Uruguayan press after the chaotic game against Cape Verde. The Montevideo Portal called him "sloppy with the ball", which will ring true to Old Trafford regulars.
"Once again, he was one of the team's biggest weaknesses and should have been substituted much earlier. He's not there, he just wasn't there," they added.
This is less than ideal for United, especially if Spain beat Uruguay and send them home early, from a group they really should have cruised through. He hasn't had the kind of tournament that would convince clubs to make a move for him.
It's clear United don't really see a future for Ugarte at the club, and the fact he was consigned to the bench for the final six games of the season shows there's a reluctance to use him, even if next season's schedule will demand more options in midfield.
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In an ideal world, United would find a permanent departure for Ugarte and use that cash to sign a third midfielder this summer, but that might now be easier said than done. If there are only loan offers on the table, a decision must be made.
There are options in the academy that could supplement the squad, chiefly Tyler Fletcher, with the 19-year-old currently at the World Cup with Scotland. Promoting Fletcher to a more regular first-team role would allow Ugarte to depart on loan, with United likely to want an option or obligation to buy.
But that would also be a risk. Michael Carrick has Kobbie Mainoo and Ederson as midfield and Mateus Fernandes is the leading candidate to come in as the second signing of the summer. Mason Mount did show towards the end of the season that he could feature in a deeper role, but he's had injury issues since joining the club, although he is confident they are now behind him.
The best-case scenario here is that Uruguay can spring a surprise against Spain in the early hours of Saturday morning, finally discovering some of the Bielsa magic and delivering a performance that keeps him in the tournament. That would give Ugarte a longer audition to land himself a good move this summer.
If that doesn't happen, the decision for United over the next couple of months might be more difficult.